Silverbeet

Silver beet would have to be one of the easiest and most productive of leafy greens to grow.

Sometimes also called Swiss chard, this relative of the beetroot comes in a variety of leaf colours and textures. If you grow the rainbow coloured silver beet, it is also one of the most ornamental edible plants to have in the veggie  garden. High in iron, vitamin K, A and C and calcium, magnesium, and potassium and
also high in antioxidants, silver beet is also incredibly good for you!

How to grow:

• Grow from seed or as seedlings nearly all year round in frost free locations.
• Position in full sun to semi-shade.
• You will be harvesting your silver beet in as little as 6-10 weeks. Picking just the outer leaves instead of pulling up the whole plant means you will have continual harvests for up to 24 weeks or longer, depending on the season. If you want longer cropping plant successively throughout and into spring, summer and autumn.
• Silver Beet loves a free draining soil with good levels of organic matter such as ActivGrow Soil Improver or Cow Manure Plus added to the soil before planting.
• Mulch well with either Sugar Cane, Pea Straw or Lucerne Mulch.
• Use fertilisers high in nitrogen to provide the essential nutrient for leaf growth – Rocky Point Poultry Manure Organic Fertiliser Pellets are ideal.
• Consistent watering is needed for plants to be productive.
• Growing in pots? Silver beet will happily grow in containers. Use Rocky Point Premium Potting Mix.

Spanakopita!

You'll need:

• 1 Silver beet bunch, central stems removed
• 250g Feta
• 150g Ricotta
• 40g Parmesan, finely grated
• 5 Eggs
• 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
• 60ml Olive oil
• 2 Dill sprigs, chopped
• 4 Green onions, chopped
• 375g Filo pastry
• 125g Butter, melted
• 2 tbsp Sesame seeds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Trim any roots on silver beet, wash and drain well, then coarsely shred and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, roughly mash feta with a fork. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, ricotta, parmesan, oil, dill, nutmeg, pepper, green onions and mix well.
4. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly but gently with your hands.
5. Lightly oil a 20cm x 30cm baking dish. Lay a sheet of filo on a work surface and brush with butter. Top with another sheet of filo, brush with butter and continue until about half the filo is used.
6. Gently lower the buttered filo rectangle into the baking dish, making sure the pastry goes right into the corners of the dish. Add the cheese and spinach mix into the filo base and spread out evenly.
7.  Layer the remaining sheets of filo on top, each brushed with butter, ensuring the final sheet is well buttered. Trim off any overhanging pastry and tuck in the sides. Use a sharp knife to score the pastry diagonally (piercing the pastry allows air to escape during baking and keeps the top crisp).
8. Lightly sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until lovely and well browned.
9. Gently shake the baking dish; the spanakopita should slide easily when it is cooked. Cover it with foil if it is over-browning.
10. Cool it on a rack for 15 minutes prior to serving.

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